This invention relates to solid state relays, and more particularly relates to a novel housing arrangement for solid state relays which substantially increases the current carrying capacity of the relay.
Solid state relays are well known. A commonly used circuit for solid state relays is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,723,769 in the name of Collins entitled "Solid State Relay Circuit With Optical Isolation And Zero-Cross-Firing" dated Mar. 27, 1973. Such devices commonly use a semiconductor switching device such as a triac or a pair of reversely poled thyristors which can be switched into conduction by a control signal. These semiconductor switching devices are commonly mounted on a heat conductive ceramic which is suspended in an insulation mass which forms the housing of the device.
It has been difficult in the past to remove heat from the main switching device in as effective a manner as possible so that the current capacity of the device had to be limited. The present invention provides a novel arrangement whereby the current rating of a given circuit arrangement can be substantially uprated.